Source: KOCO.com ~ Oklahoma City
“Yet another politician succumbs to misinformation and well funded lobbyists”
OKLAHOMA CITY —A controversial horse slaughter bill was signed by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin.
House Bill 1999, a bill ending the prohibition on horse meat processing for export in Oklahoma, was signed Friday. Forty-six states, not including Oklahoma, currently allow horsemeat processing.
Fallin released the following statement:
“In Oklahoma — as in other states — abuse is tragically common among horses that are reaching the end of their natural lives. Many horses are abandoned or left to starve to death. Others are shipped out of the country, many to Mexico, where they are processed in potentially inhumane conditions that are not regulated by the U.S. government.
“Unfortunately, the 2006 federal ban on horse processing plants has made this situation worse. After the implementation of that ban, the Government Accountability Office reported a 60 percent increase in abused, neglected and starved horses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has also noted that over 166,000 horses were sent to Canada and Mexico for processing just in 2012. These animals traveled long distances, in potentially inhumane circumstances, only to meet their end in foreign processing plants that do not face the same level of regulation or scrutiny that American plants would.
“Those of us who care about the well being of horses – and we all should – cannot be satisfied with a status quo that encourages abuse and neglect, or that rewards the potentially inhumane slaughter of animals in foreign countries.
“For that reason, I have today signed HB 1999, which would allow the humane, regulated processing of horses. This bill strictly prohibits selling horse meat for human consumption in Oklahoma.
“My thanks go out to the many horse owners, farmers and ranchers, animal lovers and concerned citizens who have contacted me regarding this issue. I appreciate the willingness of so many individuals and groups to get involved and engage their elected officials. My office diligently worked to ensure input from all sides of the issue was carefully considered during the consideration of this bill. I appreciate and support the efforts of those who have expressed a desire to donate land, money and resources to provide for abandoned horses. I believe the direction pursued by the Oklahoma Legislature, in a bill supported by both Democrats and Republicans and passed by large margins, is both practical and humane.”
“There are currently no processing facilities in the state. Should there ever be a processing facility planned, my administration will work with the Department of Agriculture to ensure it is run appropriately, follows all state and local laws, and is not a burden or hazard to the community. It’s important to note cities, counties and municipalities still have the ability to express their opposition to processing facilities by blocking their construction and operation at the local level.”
HB 1999 goes into effect on November 1. It was sponsored by Rep. Skye McNeil in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Sen. Eddie Fields in the Senate. The bill passed 82-14 in the House and 32-14 in the Senate.
Click (HERE) to Comment at KOCO Channel 5
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
If bullcrap was electricity she would be a power house!!
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Bloody hell :((
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So she signed it.
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Reblogged this on Serenity's Musings and commented:
Bloody hell…that sodding twit of a governor in Oklahoma signed that bill 😦
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I couldn’t have said it better.
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Thanks! 🙂
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how much money is she gonna get from this?
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Noooo…I can’t believe she’s stupid enough to sign it!!
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Well here comes BOYCOTT OKLAHOMA! And I hope any and all that voted and signed these bills will not be re-elected!I Ignore the citizens of Oklahoma that do not want a horse slaughter plant in their state and the citizens of the USA! I would love to know how much money greased the hands of these people????? Poor Mustangs will be the first killed and how is slaughter humane? And are they going to test any and all of the horses before they are slaughtered for bute, chemicals, equine diseases, etc.? Who is going to buy the meat? It cannot be sold in the US. EU will not allow it to be sold/exported to Europe.
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She could care less about the horses she makes me sick!
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Horse owners in all the other states need to stay out of Oklahoma for horse shows, rodeos, etc. And dont take any horses to their auctions either! Its time for a serious boycott against that horrible state and the handful of jerks who want to murder horses for blood money! I will never, ever, take my registered QH to any show there, even the QH Congress if its ever held there. I will not be a spectator in any horse activity in any state that cares so little for its horses as to slaughter them! If we cant get this horrific abuse stopped at the federal level, then maybe we should all work to get our states to stop allowing slaughter or the transport to slaughter out of state. Like NJ did. Once the plant gets up and running, then keep a close eye on your horses and be very careful who you sell them too or they will end up in a kill buyers hands!
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She has a scary looking intensity about her, at least in this photo! I nurse the secret wish that these folks might get nightmares for the rest of their lives with a endless loop of the scenes from a slaughter house
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I swear I wish I could scream in her face what an idiot she is.
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I hope when you get old & run down your family treats you the same way. Remember the great lesson you are teaching your children. FYI most of the horses aren’t old and not run down.
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She needs to witness what she signed – the cruelty is horrendous
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So horse MURDER is legal. Congrats to all the politicians and their families who have just become multi-millionaires. Don’t forget to open a bank account in the Cayman Islands and Switzerland! Oh I’m sure that’s already taken care of.
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she made the world just get scarier…
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“In Oklahoma — as in other states — abuse is tragically common among horses that are reaching the end of their natural lives.” Sure–just send them to Mary’s processing plant–that’ll be a humane end for them. What a sad day for Oklahoma—legalized abuse of old horses. (So where will that meat be consumed? Why is OK going to produce potentially toxic meat–for what global market?) OK is NOT OK–let’s all stay away.
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No other options to keep horses from ending up in Mexico? Sounds like that is the excuse. She could have issued an executive order that bans selling and transport to slaughter and that would have helped keep horses out of Mexico. Since she didn’t do that I can safely assume the safety and well being of horses was not her agenda. $$$$ I will not be setting foot or hoof in Oklahoma again. Thank GOD I did not buy the land I was looking at for retirement. Maybe New Mexico??? Sounds like their Gov is more sensible….
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Ignorance gone to seed.
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It wasn’t the closing of the slaughter houses that led to more horses being starved and abandoned! The economy TANKED at the same time the plants closed! Just as many if not more horses are being sent out of the country for slaughter than were ever slaughtered in the US. GAWD!!! Will they never “GET IT”!!!! Open your eyes idots! See this for what it is!!! I am so done with Oklahoma……
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Dear Ms. Fallin, it is said that if one cannot protect and share and love the Beauty that surrounds one, one can never share the Beauty inside …Your decision has and will destroy the beauty that belongs to every American, how does it feel to be the cause of brutely murdering a Beautiful gift,,,, , The anguish and pain of a Horse being Slaughtered is a horror that you will have to live with….
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Yes, through many lifetimes to come, no doubt unless she is not human after all. I remember the story told at the beginning of the Hollywood movie, Little Buddha. It went something like this: as the man raised his dagger to cut the throat of the goat, she cried out to him, “Go ahead, please. Go ahead and kill me as you’ve done 499 times before. For this time, I shall finally return as the Master, and you shall be the goat.”
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Beautifully said !!! I also wonder how these people will feel when they discover at the Pearly gates there stands the Beautiful, Magnificent Horse at the side of our maker, as the Judge ???????
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I am so crazy about this idea. Some say you get to do whatever you want once you make it to Heaven. I have been saying all I need is one good horse and plenty of green grass… 🙂
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She looks like a some alien freak show… trying to keep her fat paycheck and her fat… well, I am so stunned and sorry to truly understand the horrible and frightening extent to which people can go. Are we, the people, in 46 states, and now Oklahoma, really slaughtering horses, in facilities meant for that? It is so hard to go hear, and face this. I am so ashamed. I am just so ashamed and sad. e What person of any kind could support this kind of human cruelty to a creature of such beauty and strength. I can just think vaguely of a hundred million other possible solutions instead of this, if there is indeed far too many unwanted horses in the US. I have read and heard that the BLM roundups are a humane effort to prevent overpopulation and suffering of the wild herds. I could be mistaken, but I remember the United States being a huge piece of real estate. The scrawny worn-out broken-down mustangs are the ones still standing in crowded holding pens for months on end, their herds scattered and broken, not as God gave us, living out their destinies in harmony beside us as the most noble of animals. But whether we are talking a free Mustang or a over-bred race animal, no horse in America should ever be legally shot between the eyes, and no holding pens with hundreds of animals should be allowed to persist indefinitely. There shouldn’t be even one single solitary slaughterhouse in America that is legally allowed, however neat and tidy on the outside, to operate on homeland soil. At some point or another, we could all be faced with equally horrifying situations if we don’t become awake and aware now and shut these operations down immediately. This is just another sad reflection of the huge disconnect between the true will of the American people and what is being allowed to happen. I know it’s probably much worse than I could ever imagine, but to put elected representatives like this “woman” (her eyes aren’t looking so human to me) into our government is completely freakin’ unbelievable. No wonder our nation is in chaos. And what we do here affects the entire world. We’ve got to get some foothold on reform.
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Reblogged this on ephemeral spirit and commented:
For a while I couldn’t read these stories, but that day is gone and I am here to do whatever it takes beyond anything I ever imagined to connect our good people and find the way to change all this. I would take on any horse, any time, and be responsible for it, rather than see our country’s people in shock and in shame once enough understand what has been happening, and after you start looking, you’ll quickly see that horse slaughter is just one of many unforgiveable things being legalized today. Things have always been sketchy to me, when it comes down to the final gavel strike, but come on people!!! Let us all focus to End this shameful practice of Horse Slaughter in our beautiful country. Show support any way you can to help.
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like she doesn’t know she is lying her ass off…i wonder how much she made by signing it. OK, so is the special ballor initiative taking off?
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I have a question. What happens after they build and open there plant and this Governor gets voted out of office? She says her office is committed blah blah blah. But say Governor X comes in and the horse slaughter plant just isn’t important. So everything goes to hell. Who’s going to pay to clean it up? I sure as hell don’t want to.
Why can’t I take out a percentage of my taxes–those that would be used to inspect slaughter plants and divert that money to a 501c3 that I TRULY BELIEVE IN. I pay my state and Fed taxes and always will–but I’d be much happier if I could bypass the USDA.
Well for the moment Oklahoma doesn’t have a slaughter plant. They’d still have to get it approved. And that might be more difficult with the few dollars USDA has.
Is this a bill we can sue over? Like take it to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma (state supreme court). If they struck this down could it reinvent itself?
Protect your horses! Don’t go to Oklahoma! BOYCOTT OKLAHOMA.
Another question. If donks make good watch donks–for scaring off mountain lions etc. can those donks be trained to vocalize if an intruder comes onto the property?
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Yrs, my donkey was a natural guard donkey. He always announced when somebody came onto the property. That is their nature.
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The Governor certainly did not represent the people of Oklahoma. The Representatives and the Senate did not represent the people of Oklahoma. May the good people of Oklahoma remove all of them from office next election.
I also find it interesting that she signed it without talking to Ilinois and Texas. Texas and Illinois who both had horse slaughter on their land, signed laws that will never allow another horse slaughter plant.
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Eddie Fisher is up for re-election in 2014. Oklahoma vote him out in 2014. He did not listen to you or vote for you. He voted for $$$$$$$ and very little of those $$$$$$$ will go to the state of Oklahoma. The horse slaughter bill is way to terrorize, harm you and children, harm your property, harm your tourism dollars and cause psychological trauma for all.
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I would suggest people go to the article and tell the voters of OK to start the process of a putting together a recall petition. It has to have a certain number of voters names on it. By doing this they might be able to stop it. Keep in mind that there are no USDA meat inspectors available for whatever they are trying to do. And if the EU has banned US horse meat they will not have a market for the meat ever.
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SHAME ON YOU! Oklahoma will forever bear the mark of your ignorance and cruelty.
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Think this group better not start counting their blood money before it hits the slaughter house floor coming up through their faucets
trump trump trump
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I just don’t want the rest of us to have to struggle to come up with funds to clean up Oklahomaons mess. They voted this bill in and while we have to protect our horses and burros–they can darn well pay to clean up their own toxic waste.
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Whats in a Name ???? Fallin !!!!!
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We’re battling this here in New Mexico – Governor Martinez “could” sign an executive order to ban horse slaughter but she won’t. Please come on over to our FB page New Mexico Against Horse Slaughter and join our petition. https://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoAgainstHorseSlaughter?fref=ts
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Anyone stop to consider that Fallin signed the bill knowing Human Consumption Horse Slaughter (HCHS) would never return based on Federal behavior (funding, resources and Congressional activity)? She did it to get the Ag Hags off her back knowing it would never come to fruition.
I think she could have made a moral statement, but as a politician she is always concerned about the NEXT election and MONEY! The Senate and House members do it ALL the time; they vote for or against something knowing it will lose…they look good for the next election and the special interests.
Just a thought.
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So I’m confused Mary! You think killing “horses that are reaching the end of their natural lives” by opening a slaughterhouse in your state is a kind end? Do you really believe that ONLY old horses will end up there? And the bill you signed, HB 1999, “strictly prohibits selling horse meat for human consumption in Oklahoma”. So it’s okay w/ your reasoning to export/sell the “old horses” horsemeat to other countries? I’m hoping the voters in your state will vote to have the backers of this inhumane bill looking for new jobs come election time. Fortunately, there are no processing plants in OK…it ain’t over yet!!
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A massive boycott needs to start immediately before other states start brandishing this circular logic. BOYCOTT OKLAHOMA TOURISM & GOODS!
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I for one will not ever step foot in that State until the residents force a refusal point blank !!!!
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I am not defending Gov. Fallin’s actions, but I think this statement is very telling:
“It’s important to note cities, counties and municipalities still have the ability to express their opposition to processing facilities by blocking their construction and operation at the local level.”
I don’t know much about Gov. Fallin; I don’t know how long she’s served as governor, if this is her final hitch, if she succumbed to pressure by the legislation of her state or if she really is ignorant of the issues behind horse slaughter. But that statement purposely points at the notion that if you don’t want a slaughter facility anywhere near you, you aren’t powerless.
Nation-wide, nearly every facility and attempted facility has been blocked by citizens or in the case of New Mexico, a governor who not only said ‘No’, but has legislated for funding for equine rescues in her state. And Valley Meats had to sue the USDA to force them to do what they are trying so hard not to do.
It ain’t over ’til it’s over. Oklahoma’s lawmakers have only pushed their agenda to a certain point. Oklahoma’s PEOPLE are not helpless.
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When are these people going to realize that horse slaughter is barbaric and so damn cruel for horses guess they don’t watch the slaughter videos or have gone to a slaughter plant but the point is that its not the old and sick horses that go to slaughter they are dumped by the side of the road to die as the slaughter plants will not take them its the young healthy ones that need a life not be butchered for their meat— They are not raised for food— Americans do not eat horses and whatever country that wants too– should eat their own horses not our American horses. Its all about money$$$$.PERIOD! what a shame—shame on those people! I will not vacation in Oklahoma anytime soon or ever!
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GOV MARY FALLIN … IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.$$$$$$$.. SHE ONLY LISTENED TO THE PRO SLAUGHTER PEOPLE, AND DIDN’T GIVE THE ANTI SLAUGHTER PEOPLE A CHANCE TO VOICE THERE OPINION. I TRIED FOR A MONTH TO GET AN APPOINTMENT WITH HER, BUT INSTEAD SHE WENT AND LISTENED TO SOME VERY YOUNG 4-H CHILDREN THAT DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUE IS ABOUT, ONLY THAT MOMMY AND DADDY TOLD THEM TO TELL THE GOV THAT IT WAS MORE HUMANE TO SLAUGHTER HORSES, HOW CUTE !!!! THINK I HAVE HAD ENOUGH ” BLOODY MARY ” FORM NOW ON….
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Bitch, I hope the money gets you what you want and not what you need!!! Karma’s coming for you ,enjoy the money wile you and your family can!!!
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What can we do to stop this? This is really really sad! I hope the SAFE bill in congress goes through…when will they start slaughtering in Oklahoma..this is sad..the plant needs to be protested
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So, if there’s a problem instead of finding a worthy solution you just wipe it out. Are old people next?
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Well, they seem to bring up the issue of abandon and unhealthy horses. There is in most states procedures to help horse man and woman when they suffer financial or illness. Most are given time
for what ever it is. In my state our horse clubs are involved helping people with food and hay. If there is a situation where people suffer illness, we offer to help them out. If they need help with feeding and cleaning our clubs offer to help out. Who is going to ask for help now knowing that their horse could be taken and sent to slaughter, instead of offering them an avenue for help, Oklahoma legislators has made inpossible to ask for help. What gives with Oklahoma? Also, is the sheriff going to impound the horses and send them off to slaughter based on his knowledge of the situation. Watch out OK citizens, heaven for bid you suffer from this economy. And by the way, I guess he assumes its always the owners who turn them loose. What a bunch of elected losers!!!!
I certainly hope the citizens of Oklahoma vote them all out including that Governor who doesn’t bother to do her reserch..Bought and Paid for by the foreign investors…as well as your elected representative…I sure hope someone in Washington, DC can act on this one..
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Yeah Mary, pass the Ag gag bill and you’ll be all set..b@$&h
Where is the religious college..hell, i suppose ASL those religious hypocrites are to busy saving souls.. Ha! To be bothered with this. So much for not so good friday.
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The Human Garbage keeps piling up !!!!!
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I wonder how many face lifts she’s had…I’m kind of confused because she says the locals can block the building or operating of the plant..I wonder what she means or how that could be accomplished..
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Dear Governor Fallin, A note. To help you after you are “harvesting,” for the “well being of horses.” Oh, you are having problems? Blood backing up in tubs & toilets? Horse heads in piles? Slaughterhouse employees are violent? Rapes? Terrible smell? Residents horrified seeing the horses trucked in? Eyes gouged? You need to raise taxes to pay for lawsuits? Europe will not take your horse meat? Now, what are you gonna do?? CALL PAULA BACON! And ma’am, we told you so!!
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